


Harrowed

by paburke



Category: Haven - Fandom
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2015-12-03
Packaged: 2018-05-04 20:19:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5347289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paburke/pseuds/paburke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“We’ve got a new Trouble. It’s affecting everyone but no physical damage.  I have a feeling we might have a riot by this afternoon if we don’t get it fixed, though.”</p>
<p>“I’ll meet you at the station.”</p>
<p>“Sure.  And Audrey?  Bring a dictionary.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

*

Audrey woke to the phone ringing. She wasn’t surprised when Nathan greeted her with, “We’ve got a new Trouble.”

“How bad?”

“Well, it’s affecting everyone but no physical damage. I have a feeling we might have a riot by this afternoon if we don’t get it fixed.”

“I’ll meet you at the station.”

“Sure. And Audrey? Bring a dictionary.”

Audrey blinked at the dial tone, but soon was dressed and walking down the stairs with a large dictionary in hand. Duke was outside, sketching on his daily special chalkboard. He was shirtless.

“Forgot to do laun…” Audrey’s voice trailed off as she realized that Duke had a new tattoo. ‘louche’ was elegantly scripted across his back but when Duke turned to her, the ‘tattoo’ shifted until it was written across his chest.

Duke shrugged and waved at the free-floating word. “It shows up over whatever clothes that I’m wearing so I thought ‘why bother?’.”

Audrey nodded and opened the dictionary in her hands to the ‘L’s. “Louche.” She read the definition and couldn’t stifle the giggle.

Duke read it over her shoulder, his voice getting smugger with every word, “disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way. Hmmm, since you had the dictionary in hand and you don’t have a word attached to you, this is a rather interesting Trouble that Nathan wants you to stop immediately. Others must have words. _Nathan_ must have a word.” 

“Put on a shirt if you are coming with me.”

Duke grinned and jogged away. He was back, shirt in hand before Audrey had a chance to turn the key in the ignition. 

Duke spent the drive into town trying to guess Nathan’s word. Audrey shot most of his suggestions down by reminding Duke that they needed a dictionary for whatever it was and Audrey –and everyone else- knew the definition for ‘annoying’ and ‘ridiculous’ and ‘pain in the ass’ was more than one word.

There weren’t many people on the streets in Haven and many of those who walking wore bright patterns in an attempt to hide their labels. Stores were closed and Audrey couldn’t help but wonder how many owners would have some variant of ‘cheat’ written across their body.

The high school looked closed, but of course the police station was open. Stan greeted them with an ‘affable’ label. Audrey and Duke could see labels like ‘obdurate,’ ‘tenacious’, ‘resolute’ and ‘intransigent’ scattered around the office.

Nathan was ‘indefatigable.’ Duke grabbed Audrey’s dictionary to look up the word. He was disappointed in the definition. “No dirty little secrets there.”

Nathan took the dictionary out of Duke’s hands to look up the businessman’s word. He practically rolled his eyes at the definition.

“So I’m thinking a writer?” Audrey suggested. “Someone rather educated.”

“Dave and Vince?” Duke suggested.

Nathan shook his head. “No. I visited them already. Dave was labeled as ‘reticent’ and Vince as ‘redoubtable’.”

“Does anyone not have it?” Audrey asked. “Besides me?”

“Most little kids don’t,” Nathan explained. 

“What age does it start?” queried Duke.

“Early teen. The high school closed early because there were too many fights because of the words, but the elementary school is still open,” Nathan informed them.

“Puberty,” Duke huffed. “We’ve already seen a link between that and Troubles.”

Audrey tilted her head a bit. “The handwriting is the same on everyone. Is it familiar to you? It’s clearly legible but… elegant.”

Duke and Nathan immediately stared at the others’ label. “Nooo,” Duke shook his head slowly. “You don’t think?” He snapped his fingers trying to remember a name. “That English teacher we all had. He was like a million years old when we had him.”

Nathan knew to whom he was referring. “Mr. Kacher. He retired, oh, five years ago? That wouldn’t explain the labels at the current high school.”

“He had a daughter, Julia,” Duke reminded him. “Bookish, not much younger than us, and I’m pretty sure she went to college to teach English. I don’t know if she’s back.”

“She’s back,” Nathan confirmed. “I saw her at the school during the early release and her word is very positive.”

“What was it?” Duke was curious.

“I couldn’t pronounce it if I tried.”

“Well, we know that Troubles run in families,” Audrey broke in. “And a lot of Troubled people stick around Haven. We better go talk to the Kachers and help them keep their opinions to themselves

*


	2. Definitions

Harrowed- to disturb keenly or painfully; distress the mind, feelings, etc., of.

Affable- pleasantly easy to approach and to talk to; friendly; cordial; warmlypolite

Obdurate- unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding.

Tenacious- holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold

Resolute- firmly resolved or determined; set in purpose or opinion:

Intransigent- a person who refuses to agree or compromise,

Indefatigable- incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring.

Reticent- disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved.

Redoubtable- formidable; that is to be feared.

**Author's Note:**

> Not a crossover, but it happened because Finch of Person of Interest used the word ‘Louche.’ And no character fits that definition better than Duke.


End file.
